Zen and the Art of E46 M3 Ownership

[Bimma360]

Perfect opportunity to clean everything up. Doing it the right way, nice!

Yeah and "the while you're in there" spidey sense is tingling really badly. I have to keep reminding myself that if I indulge I might not get the car back on the road for months. It will be 12 months this November since I bought it.

[bavarian3]

Perfect opportunity to clean everything up. Doing it the right way, nice!

[Bimma360]

It occurred to me that I never explicitly said what my goal for this car is. Ultimately, it is to have an 80% CSL experience: In the way it looks, the touch points, the sounds, the way it feels to drive, and the way it behaves on the road. It recently dawned on me though that in doing so and starting with a comp pack slicktop, I was building myself a "CS". I haven't talked about the complete parts list yet, but regardless of what someone thinks a factory e46 M3 CS would have been, it is in this car plus more. I joked in another thread that I like badges, so...






The interior and exterior are totally put back together and basically done. I didn't take any pictures though, b/c I just wanted to start ripping the old suspension out.

Turns out, if you are replacing everything it's super easy removing all the stuff fully assembled. The joy of working on a zero rust car. Never in my life have I had control arms come out so easily! The whole process was so smooth. But in usual fashion, I can't help myself and figure while I am in there I might as well just do the euro headers and airbox I've had sitting. So I am thinking, order of operations: (1) Remove/Install headers and euro section 1, (2) Install front suspension stuff, (3) Remove factory airbox, (4) Work on O2 wiring on engine bay side, and (5) Install carbon airbox. Then onto the rear end.

[Bimma360]

So the Ospho was able to remove the black marks on the muffler? I have them on mine and can’t tell if they’re tar or something else, but they are impossible to remove.

Yeah just about all of them. Apart from washing it, Ospho was the only other thing I used.

[nyc951]

Got an opportunity to snag my muffler while the car is at the shop for the driveshaft and motor/trans mounts. I plan on keeping the exhaust stock and just do a carbon airbox, so today I tried to bring some life back into this 20 year old muffler.

After a wash this is what we're working with...






Now this stuff is amazing for surface rust and yellowing on stainless steel. For the most part you're just wiping the rust away, don't even need any elbow grease.



And all done, coated in Dr Beasley's to keep it looking like this for years. Burkhart tips coated and waiting to be installed next.

So the Ospho was able to remove the black marks on the muffler? I have them on mine and can’t tell if they’re tar or something else, but they are impossible to remove.

[Arclitgold]

Looking great!

[0-60motorsports]

Thanks dude. I can't wait to get them in the car. I can't wait to start driving this car for that matter.

I bet! Looking forward to seeing it done.

[Bimma360]

The seats look so good!

Thanks dude. I can't wait to get them in the car. I can't wait to start driving this car for that matter.

[0-60motorsports]

The seats look so good!

[Bimma360]

Car still at the paint shop. 4 weeks this week. I am too nice.

In the meantime, I got the rear seat done. So whenever I do get this car back I can proceed to completely finish the interior, and the exterior for that matter.



I also picked up one of these fancy plate holders. Proceeded to immediately let the magnets fly across the table top at each other.

[Bimma360]

Center console stuff installed. That storm shiftknob is stainless, and a whopping 10.7 oz. It was peculiar to me why they didn't just make it out of aluminum, but I gotta say the weight really improves the way this thing feels shifting. The stock action just felt hallow. Pretty cool.





Took a crack at cleaning/restoring the Alcantara on the steering wheel. It's much better, but not what I had hoped. It's just not as soft as fresh Alcan. 20 years of not being cleaned once (I guarantee it). Not coming back from that unfortunately. Time for a new one I guess.



A touch-less wash before going back to the painter today.

[R60BBA]

It's primarily with the trunk. Didn't get enough paint on the bottom inner edge, and you can still see the primer in most areas down there. There are three paint knubs on the back face, and also a bit more orange peel on that surface than anywhere else on the car. They just didn't do a good job inspecting that area before I came to pick it up.

Ahh annoying but sounds easily fixable.

Look forward to further updates.

[Bimma360]

Installed the 6x9 subs during my lunch today. Updated them with a pair of kickers. Nothing fancy just wanted to put in something fresh made with better materials, and can handle more power if I went down that route later. The kickers are 4 ohm, so I wired them in parallel to adjust for the hk sub amp's 2 ohm rating. Honestly, the whole system (Avin 4, bavsound + these kickers) sounds great. I know it will be pretty spectacular with an amp upgrade, but it doesn't really leave me wanting too badly at the moment. I have no rear shelf rattle, so no tennis ball mod needed haha. I don't know if this is the case for all E46 M3's or just later models, but my rear shelf has a brace that gets bolted in the middle directly to the metal shelf. I do have some vibration though, and it's directly with the plastic sub enclosure. If I put my hands under it and push up against the metal shelf I can just about stop the vibration. In my situation the best thing I can do with this system at this moment, is to make a new enclosure for under that rear shelf. We'll see though how it all sounds once the back seat is in there. Maybe its a moot point.

[Bimma360]

Enjoying the thread so far fella.

It looks like your car is coming along nicely.

Must ask though but what were the areas of concern with your respray?

It's primarily with the trunk. Didn't get enough paint on the bottom inner edge, and you can still see the primer in most areas down there. There are three paint knubs on the back face, and also a bit more orange peel on that surface than anywhere else on the car. They just didn't do a good job inspecting that area before I came to pick it up.

[R60BBA]

Car's finally back! Of course I won't have time for the car this weekend, haha.

Generally, I am pretty pleased though. There are a few small areas of concern that they are going to address. I am going to put everything back on the car first and give it some time for the paint to further cure.

Oh the joys of refreshing old cars.

Enjoying the thread so far fella.

It looks like your car is coming along nicely.

Must ask though but what were the areas of concern with your respray?